Family: Araliaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Grows and could spread in regions with tropical climates.
- Reported to be naturalized and possibly invasive in Cuba (no evidence from the Hawaiian Islands to date)
- Contact with leaves may cause dermatitis, and plants could possibly be toxic to animals.
- Tolerates many soil types.
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by cuttings (seed set may be limited in cultivation)
- Seeds, if produced, may be dispersed by birds and other frugivorous animals.
- Tolerates regular pruning. May resprout after cutting, making mechanical control more labor intensive and possible ineffective.
Low Risk Traits:
- A commonly cultivated plant. Despite reports of invasiveness in Cuba, no negative impacts have been documented.
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Fruit production and seed set in cultivation may be limited, and possibly absent.
- Limited or absent seed production reduces risk of accidental or long-distance dispersal.